Welcome to Bird Cove, Read Island, British Columbia
Introduction
The Discovery Islands were charted by the Spanish in the 1790's (surprise, with island names such as Quadra, Cortes , Sonora , Maurelle and Texada). The Discovery Island group is tucked into the straights between the upper north half of Vancouver Island and the British Columbia mainland. Read Island is part of the Discovery group (the Spanish missed Read – the British named it) and Bird Cove is on its east side. So what's so unique about Bird Cove? Well nothing, and yet everything – partly it is just that this is my corner of the globe and I like to show it off.
Read Island
Read Island itself is about 19 km long from the North end to the South. It averages 3 kms across and widens to about 6 km at the North end. On the BIrd Cove property everything is at the doorsteps of buildings designed and built with living off-the-grid in mind. The Pacific Ocean and Rocky Mountains are out the front door. It's not completely isolated, after all you can visit the Surge Narrows store and have a coffee. There are things to do - you could swim off the dock or at quiet Lambert Beach , 5 minutes walk away or in Rosen Lake near the park . You can hike and mountain bike on the island roads or canoe along deserted shores . So why am I trying to convince you how great this place is? Well I like people and sometimes I need advice or a hand with some of my projects. Maybe you can help. Think about it, have you ever wanted to really escape for a while in exchange for your expertise? If this interests you then maybe we can make a deal.
Accommodation
There isn't a great deal of accommodation available on Read. I Believe there is a seasonal Bed and Breakfast on the west side of the island. Tenting is great in the summer. Aside from the buildings this Bird Cove property has two excellent tenting sites near the dock and I've seen people tenting at Lambert Beach about 5 minutes from here. I understand, also, that there is tenting at Read Island Provincial Park - though I have never been there. Consult their WebSite. I believe accommodation is also available in conjunction with Coast Mountains Expeditions activities at their lodge at the north end of Evans Bay - just up from Bird Cove.
Island Maps
As for a little more background the island is little known and not easy to find. Be aware there is no ferry service, only one small but well stocked general store, no TV reception and only bumpy gravel roads. Cell phone reception is spotty. Read Island is about 200 kms north west of Vancouver along the British Columbia west coast tucked between Vancouver Island and the mainland. The Google Earth view of this area is interesting but too low-resolution to make out much detail. The geological survey contour map of the island gives a more complete picture.
Buildings
The Bird Cove Property
Development on the Bird Cove property was started in 1992 on 10 acres of shore front among West Coast rainforest. The property was developed by a Taoist group and set up as a retreat called “ Silent Ground ” . The attention to serenity, utility and quality are everywhere. Now I have it and I use it for enjoyment. Today the property includes a workshop , greenhouse and garden , garden house , kitchen house , bedroom house and quarry and dock and cove . Being off-the-grid, the site has its own energy systems, water systems and sewage systems.
Surge Narrows store
Read sland, Community and its People
The gathering point of the island is Surge Narrows which includes the Government Dock , Post Office , Store, School and Community Hall . Aside from us retired folks the main livelihood is logging and shellfish leases ( Read Island has no pollution – its clean beaches produce some of the best shell fish anywhere). Life is good. The island is a small community of about 50 people year-round exploding to about 100 during the summer. The summers are warm and August can be quite dry. Winters are wet. The firs, maple, hemlock and cedars can be huge – like the cedar outside the kitchen house window . The islanders are friendly, helpful, hardy and always resourceful. The ‘ups' and ‘downs' of outer island living are excellently described in an excerpt- from a Shorelines short story written by a former Read islander.
Lamberts Beach
Attractions – what to do
What to do here? If you are energetic you can canoe or kayak the shores or hike and bike the roads and trails. You can enjoy beach combing, picking the drift wood , gathering fresh oysters or fishing for rock cod, or pulling in a prawn trap . If you like to work with things try repairs on the buildings, boat and truck , work the garden and greenhouse , or pick fruit in an abandon homestead orchard . If you like to socialize then have coffee and talk to the locals at the Surge Narrows store. If you want tranquility then you can always watch the bald eagles circling. Deer are plentiful. There are some bear, wolves and cougars but they stay pretty hidden. Depending where you are you can observe the flowers , mediate in the quiet on the dock , or just sit on the beach and look east to the mountains. Few things can beat watching the sunrise and sunset . But, to each his own.
Getting here, Logistics and Projects
Advice is always welcome however should you decide you want to visit we have to do some planning. First we have to get around to know each other. My wife and I have travelled through most of Europe . My wife loves Italy most and speaks French and Italian. I like Eastern Europe . Other things to consider are how to get here , what food to bring and what is already here and what to wear . Also, be prepared to do some cooking and do some cleanup after yourself. Importantly (from my point of view anyway), do you have some expertise and are you willing to help me out on any of my endless list of projects ? I will be glad to post photos and information about progress.
Learning about the area – home page
I invite you to look around this website . The Site Contents tab gets you most everywhere on the site. Become acquainted with Bird Cove and Read Island . It has been fun building this website (plus I now have a lot more respect for people who do this for a living). This site is only a pale representation of the real island and its neater aspects but it's the best way I could think of to share it with you.
Perhaps you are one of the many boaters who enjoy sailing the coastal waters around here. If you do, you may want to stop in. If you are on the west side of Read then please drop into the Surge Narrows store. If you're on the east side then drop anchor near Bird Cove and come-on in, I say ‘near' because for about 5 hours a day (at low tide) the waters in the cove is too shallow for boats to move. I always enjoy hearing from old friends and, potentially, making new friends. Have a good day and feel free to let me know what you think.
More detail is available through the Site Contents link.
Don.
